Archive for May 2012

Today Lindsay and I took a ride to Aylwardstown, Ireland. I had googled it, and it looked like the middle of farmland, so we set Mr GPS and off we went. Upon hearing "Arriving at destination" I have to tell you that all my expectations were met. It was the intersection of two farm roads. That’s it… that’s all. So we got out and had our Kodak moment. Damn shame there was nobody within miles to share our excitement.

But as we drove away and finally came upon some houses, the people waved to us. They must have seen the resemblance.

Blogging from Ireland is way more difficult than it was in Italy. I think it’s the touch screen tablet. I don’t understand how the kids type on these things. Anyway, here’s what my mom left out.

To say that the roads are narrow is the biggest understatement of all time. I’ll act out a scene from the car.

Mom: I love driving in Ireland! It’s so fun.
Lindsay: Eyes on the roads please.
Mom: Hey look! More sheep!
Lindsay: Whoa. You’re really close to the bushes over here.
Mom: (plays with GPS)
Lindsay: I think I have leaves in my hair. The bushes are literally IN my window.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.

And in other news: TV options on Ireland’s main channels include Real Housewives of Dublin (not kidding), Murder She Wrote, and the Irish version of Maury (which we affectionately call Maury O’Povich).

Today we continued through the second half of the Ring of Kerry, and let me tell you the scenery was terrific. It’s no wonder why they say it’s one of the prettiest drives in Europe. We also got to see the other 6 million sheep that we missed yesterday.

Stopped at the Rock of Cashel on the way. (See earlier post)

Arrived in Kilkenny late afternoon and had a Guinness on the terrace overlooking Kilkenny Castle. Kilkenny is a blue collar city (no Prada here), and it’s great fun to experience the different cultures.

Dinner was at a well known Italian restaurant here in town, and we weren’t disappointed one bit. More fun tomorrow.

Visited the Rock of Cashel today, built in the early 1100s, and seat of the Kings of Munster. This was one of St. Patrick’s hangouts. Showpiece was Cormac’s Chapel, which is being restored. Made of sandstone, it is one of the finest examples of Hiberno-Romanesque architecture. (Did you get that?)

After a fond farewell to Mary and Pasty Considine, we headed out to Adare, known for its thatched roof cottages. Very cute little town and VERY Irish. Then off to The Ring of Kerry, one of Europe’s most scenic drives. Everything you’ve ever heard about Ireland being green is true times 10. But what you didn’t know is that every sheep in the world has an address here. Every one, no kidding. Ended up in Waterville, known for Charlie Chaplin because he loved this seaside town, and they still have a big festival for him every year. (Who knew?)

Stayed at the Butler Arms Hotel (Charlie’s favorite). I don’t think it’s changed a whole lot since he was there.

Sunday – We landed in Shannon early this morning and picked up our car from Hertz. The car is little more than a tin can with wheels, but that’s OK. It gets us where we need to go. So we thought that driving on the left would be the major concern. It is not. The major concern is that the roads in Ireland are paved cow paths, nothing more. They are extremely narrow and have absolutely no breakdown lane whatsoever. This means that every time a car passes you from the opposite direction, you hope you still have a side view mirror attached. And the best part is that the speed limit is 100 kph. Do the conversion. I aged 5 years between breakfast and dinner. We were welcomed at our first stop by Mary and Patsy (her husband) Considine. Mary brought us tea and toast in the sitting room, and we all chatted about the surrounding area and things to do. They couldn’t have been sweeter. After a short nap, Lindsay and I headed out to the Cliffs of Moher, a natural phemonenon formed 320 million years ago. Pretty amazing place, and the weather was fully cooperative for a great visit. After The Cliffs we headed out to another amazing place, O’Connor’s Pub in Doolin, where we downed our first pint in Ireland. The walls were covered with American dollar bills and American license plates, a nice welcome for these foreign travelers. We took a little stroll through Doolin, then decided to drive up the coast to view the countryside, and quite a view it was. Expansive green fields with horses and cows and sheep, oh my. Did I mention cows? Yeah lots of cows. They are mooing outside my window as I type this. Tonight we drove into the town of Lahinch and enjoyed a huge serving of fish and chips, then back to our B&B for some much needed rest. It was a great first day of our adventure. By the way, it stays light here until 10 pm. I sure hope these cows knock it off soon.

By the way, we’re having trouble posting pics to this site. Go to Facebook or email me.